The P&O Cruises brand will disappear into 2025, becoming absorbed into Carnival Cruise Lines. The announcement was made mere months after P&O Cruises invested in its first brand platform in a decade.
In a statement to Mediaweek, a P&O spokesperson said: “The decision to sunset the brand in 2025 is a result of a global strategy to deliver operational efficiencies in this market.
“It is in no way a reflection of our marketing effectiveness, nor the talented team and agency partners behind it, who will continue to support us through this transition.”
“P&O is an iconic Australian brand, and our recent relaunch delivered unprecedented results,” they added.
There is no change until February 2025. The following month will see the company sunset the P&O Cruises Australia brand and fold the Australia operations into Carnival Cruise Line.
The cruise line company said in a statement: “Early next year, we will be farewelling the much-loved P&O Cruises Australia brand and rebrand to become part of Carnival Cruise Lines.
“We are all immensely proud of P&O Cruises Australia’s 90-year heritage of dedicated operations in the region and welcome this new and exciting next chapter of our operations in Australia and the Pacific.”
One of its ships, the Pacific Explorer, will also leave the fleet. Reports of the brand shuttering have noted the high operating costs for a cruise line in Australia, including port fees and fuel.
The brand appointed Supermassive to its creative account last year, to lead the new platform, and Bread Agency to its social account. Fellow indie Today The Brave holds Carnival Cruise Lines’ account.
The first P&O Cruises platform in 10 years, created by Supermassive and launched in January, centred around the power of human connection, dubbed Brings Us All Together.
The hero film featured an onboard choir comprised of local singing groups, past guests, and brand fans singing an original arrangement of Fleetwood Mac’s iconic hit song Everywhere.
At the time, P&O marketing director Kieran O’Donnell told Mediaweek that the campaign aimed to “elevate the brand above the sea of sameness” in the cruise category and connect with new audiences that may not have considered cruises before.
Meanwhile, Today The Brave launched the 100% Holiday campaign for Carnival Cruise Lines, also in January. As part of the appointment, the agency was tasked with accelerating the brand’s strategy and creative, and supporting Carnival to help drive Australians to reappraise, experience, and embrace the value of a cruise, enticing them to jump on board.
It is unclear how the merger, set to take effect next year, will impact agency relationships and P&O’s marketing team.